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Background: ADAMTS13 is the physiological von Willebrand factor (VWF)-cleaving protease. The aim of this study was to examine ADAMTS13 expression in kidneys from ADAMTS13 wild-type (Adamts13(+/+)) and deficient (Adamts13(-/-)) mice and to investigate the expression pattern and bioactivity in human glomerular endothelial cells. Methodology/Principal Findings: Immunohistochemistry was performed on k
The gradient in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO(2)) across the air-sea boundary layer is the main driving force for the air-sea CO2 flux. Global data bases for surface seawater pCO(2) are actually based on pCO(2) measurements from several meters below the sea surface, assuming a homogeneous distribution between the diffusive boundary layer and the upper top meters of the ocean. Compili
Context: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) have identified robust associations with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 9q22.33 (FOXE1), 14q13.3 (NKX2-1), and 2q35 (DIRC3). Our recently published GWAS suggested additional susceptibility loci specific for the high-incidence Italian population. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify no
Blood coagulation and complement pathways are two important natural defense systems. The high affinity interaction between the anticoagulant vitamin K-dependent protein S and the complement regulator C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is a direct physical link between the two systems. In human plasma, similar to 70% of total protein S circulates in complex with C4BP; the remaining is free. The anticoagula
Wrist fracture causes pain and decreased physical, social and emotional function. The International Osteoporosis Foundation has developed a specific questionnaire to assess quality of life in patients with wrist fracture. This questionnaire, including 12 questions, was validated in a multicentre study and compared with an osteoporosis-specific questionnaire (Qualeffo-41) and a generic questionnair
The rapid development of handheld technologies such as smartphones and personal digital assistants in recent years has created opportunities for the mobile workforce to take advantage of computerised information systems. To apprehend and harness the opportunities of computerised information systems implemented on handheld devices it is crucial to fully understand the user group and the handheld te
Measurements of cross sections of inelastic and diffractive processes in proton-proton collisions at LHC energies were carried out with the ALICE detector. The fractions of diffractive processes in inelastic collisions were determined from a study of gaps in charged particle pseudorapidity distributions: for single diffraction (diffractive mass M-X < 200 GeV/c(2)) sigma(SD)/sigma(INEL) = 0.21 +/-
The main aim of this paper is to study land-atmosphere exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) for semi-arid savanna ecosystems of the Sahel region and its response to climatic and environmental change. A subsidiary aim is to study and quantify the seasonal dynamics in light use efficiency (epsilon) being a key variable in scaling carbon fluxes from ground observations using earth observation data. The n
Autoimmune diabetes is a consequence of immune-cell infiltration and destruction of pancreatic β-cells in the islets of Langerhans. We analyzed the cellular composition of the insulitic lesions in the autoimmune-prone non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse and observed a peak in recruitment of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) to NOD islets around 8-9 weeks of age. This peak coincides with increased spo
Background: Poor mental health predicts sexual risk behaviours in high-income countries, but little is known about this association in low-income settings in sub-Saharan Africa where HIV is prevalent. This study investigated whether depression, psychological distress and alcohol use are associated with sexual risk behaviours in young Ugandan adults. Method: Household sampling was performed in two
This article presents a policy analysis of prostitution policies across Europe.
The transverse momentum (pT) distribution of primary charged particles is measured at midrapidity in minimum-bias p-Pb collisions at root S-NN = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC in the range 0.15 < pT < 50 GeV/c. The spectra are compared to the expectation based on binary collision scaling of particle production in pp collisions, leading to a nuclear modification factor consistent with
Streptococcus equi ssp. equi causes strangles, a highly contagious and serious disease in the upper respiratory tract of horses. Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus, another subspecies of this genus, is regarded as an opportunistic commensal in horses. The present study describes the characterization of two novel immunoglobulin G (IgG) endopeptidases of these subspecies, IdeE2 and IdeZ2. Both en
Aims Oral anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) is effective but has significant limitations. AZD0837, a new oral anticoagulant, is a prodrug converted to a selective and reversible direct thrombin inhibitor (AR-H067637). We report from a Phase II randomized, dose-guiding study (NCT00684307) to assess safety, tolerability, pharmacokinet
